Dance With Me
by chiibi13
Summary: Soul is throwing a surprise party for Maka. But is that the only thing that he's hiding from her? SoulXMaka COMPLETE xDDD
1. Invitations

Disclaimer: I am just an anime-addicted freak. I do NOT own Soul Eater *sniff*

"Maka's birthday… Maka's birthday…" Soul thought out loud.

"Yosh. I've got everything planned out," he grinned.

Presently, he was walking through the school hallway with his hands behind his head in his usual 'cool' manner, trying to find Black Star and Tsubaki but kept losing their trail. It's wasn't that they were hard to find, seeing as _was_ the loudest meister in the school after all. The trouble was that he moved around too much, and too damn fast. It was a wonder how Tsubaki could follow him around and not lose track of him. Every time he went in the direction of Black Star's voice, by the time he got there, he was long gone.

'Too freaking hyperactive,' Soul thought. He was getting really annoyed now.

He was back at the assignment board for the third time now. This time, he spotted Kidd looking up at the board with his two weapons standing behind him. Patty was waving her hands animatedly at various directions while blabbering nonsense to Liz who gave the occasional nod, as if she actually understood the ramblings of her childish sister.

Soul went up to Kidd and muttered a distinctable 'yo' with one hand up at shoulder level to indicate that it was a friendly greeting. Liz and Patty greeted him with a nod and went back to their discussion.

Kidd looked away from the board and smiled at Soul. "Yo. Where's Maka?"

"Library. Hey, Kidd. It's Maka's birthday today. If you guys are free later, come by our apartment – I'm throwing her a surprise party."

"It's Maka's birthday today? We'll definitely come." said Kidd as Patty and Liz turned their attention to Soul once again.

"Yeah, we love parties!!" Patty joined in.

"Throwing a surprise party for her? Pretty sweet of you, ne, Soul?" added Liz, one eyebrow raised, grinning and nudging Soul. Soul put on one of his coolest smiles and sighed.

"Whatever… Just remember to come before 7:30. The theme is formal dress, as in a ballroom kind of style. By the way, have you seen Black Star?"

Patty jumped out at him waving her hands in the air. "I was just talking about him to Nee-chan!! You wanna know what happened?! You see, he, he, he-"

"He's in the classroom." Liz interrupted, smirking. Patty began laughing in her usual loud way.

Soul gave Kidd a confused look who just shrugged in answer. He turned back towards Liz and Patty, mumbled an audible "thanks" and walked towards the classroom. When he finally reached the classroom, before he could open the door, it slid open and a crowd of very angry looking girls exited the room. After all of them left, Soul entered the classroom. He saw Black Star hanging on the black board by his shirt, bruised and bleeding. Tsubaki was in front of him saying something to him that sounded something like "That's why I told you not to!" She sounded concerned, but tired. Soul didn't blame her. Just hanging around with him could exhaust you. He came up to her and asked, "What did he do this time?"

"We caught him peeping into the girls' locker room," she sighed with one hand on her forehead.

"Isn't that on the third floor?" he asked slightly surprised.

"He was hanging onto the windowsill," she looked at the culprit hanging on the black board and sighed again. "But, I do appreciate his determination."

"Determined for the wrong thing," Soul muttered shaking his head. Then he remembered what he there for and turned back to Tsubaki. "Oh yea, I almost forgot… Tsubaki, we're having a surprise party for Maka later. The theme is formal, so come in formal dress. And try to come before 7:30. But, uh, can you guys come?"

Tsubaki smiled and replied, "We'd love to come. If Black Star's condition allows it, we'll be there." Her voice had a slightly more cheerful tone in it than earlier.

Soul and Tsubaki turned and looked at the blue-haired meister still hanging on the board. He tried to smile and gave a groan that sounded like an "ok" with one thumbs up.

Soul grinned. "Perfect."

* * *

Soooooo.... how was it? Should I post up more? Reviews are appreciated, so just press that lovely blue little button, and I'll give you a marshmellow! xP


	2. Dangerous Waters

(A/N:) To all those who were watching out for this story, I am SOOOOO sorry that I took such a long time to update! And thank you SO much to those who reviewed and favourited this story! Also, a special thanks to inoue-hime who pm-ed me to make me get off my lazy ass and write the next chapter! (Gives cookie to inoue-hime ^^)

And now, to those who have been bugging me to update (lol) I present to the next chapter! (makes dramatic motions. audience throws tomatos at chiibi-chan ^.^")

* * *

Soul and Maka were walking home. Usually, they would ride Soul's bike but he had it conveniently 'sent to the repair shop' to set his plan in motion. He looked the slim figure walking beside him. Maka seemed in a happy enough mood, but Soul was in a crisis. He had to get Maka to wear something fancy for tonight without her suspecting anything about her surprise party. This, of course was going to be hard.

He cleared his throat intentionally and to his ears, it rang out a little _too_ loudly. She looked at him and responded with a happy "hmm?"

"Well… Today's you're birthday," he said slowly.

"Well, yeah. You wished me this morning didn't you?" she replied.

"Yeah."

Both of them walked in silence once again.

"So… Do you want your present? It isn't much, though." he said shrugging.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Weeeell… I was thinking that you could choose whatever I have to wear tonight," he said.

Maka stopped walking and examined him. Soul's heart jumped to his throat at the sudden action and at how close she was to him.

"Hmmm…" she muttered, her eyes scrutinizing his features. She backed off with a 'Hmmph' and said," the truth is that you didn't have any other present for me, right?" in a very annoyed voice.

Soul shook it off with a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

Maka heaved a heavy sigh. "Well, at least you tried."

_Phew. Close one._

They reached their apartment and Soul remembered the most vital part of his plan.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that I have to pick out your clothes, too," he said trying to sound carefree. His heart was frantically thumping. This was the most vital part of his mission and he was treading on dangerous waters here.

"Eh? Why? Isn't it MY birthday?" she complained.

"It's a fair give and take," he shrugged, the back of his neck sweating.

Maka stopped in front of their doorstep thinking. Soul went ahead to lock it and held the door open for her. She thought for a minute or two.

"Fine. I get to pick what you wear anyway," she said. Soul quietly let out the breath he'd been holding in.

Maka went through the door and suddenly clasped her hands together in excitement.

"I know!" she said, enlightened.

"MALE clothes," Soul immediately said. "Absolutely no female clothes whatsoever. This applies to undergarments of course," he said sternly.

"MAKA CHOP!"

Soul rubbed his head painfully.

"I know that! Geez! I'm not perverted like you," she said scornfully.

Soul entered the apartment closing the door apartment door behind him. "I'm going to go prepare dinner," Maka told him but as she was about to turn, he caught her arm.

"Birthday girls shouldn't prepare dinner on their birthdays," he told her, giving her his trademark grin.

"Now why don't you go and pick a decent outfit for me while I'm in the shower (emphasizing on 'decent', making her slightly scowl) and I'll prepare dinner when it's your turn."

Maka was caught off guard. There was a certain gentleness in his voice. Finally, the surprised look on her face relaxed into a grateful smile.

"Ok," she nodded happily.

She went into his room and opened his wardrobe, her eyes widened in surprise. It was perfectly organized. _When did fix it? _she thought. The last time she dared to open his wardrobe doors, she was buried in a landslide of clothes.

She noticed sitting on one neatly stacked pile of clothes was a book and a card. It had Soul's cursive writing on the front in big letters that read : **To Maka**.

Inside the card was written:

**To the best meister,**

**Happy Birthday!**

**PS- try not to pick anything too crappy for me to wear.**

**Soul Evans Eater aka The Coolest Weapon ever**

She chuckled after reading it. Even in a birthday, he still managed to proclaim that he was 'cool'. She picked up the book that had been under the card. It was the book that she wanted. She remembered that she told Soul about it. The other day, when she went to the book store to buy it after saving up, she was told that someone had just bought the last copy before her. She was still fuming over that incident earlier today.

Maka was thoroughly touched. Who knew that Soul could be a gentleman? _He should at least look like a gentleman. And since I get to pick what he wears… I've got it!_

It was perfectly designed and kept in good condition when she found it. She only saw him wear it once, and it was a bit too formal to wear at home but it was her birthday, right?

"Besides…" she happily thought out loud. "If he dares to complain about it, I could always Maka-chop him into the ground."

Out of the meister's view, just outside the door, her weapon grinned.

* * *

There! I finally did it!!! I sort of liked this chapter. I made Soul look like a gentleman ^^ hohohoho...

Those who review will get a cookie! :P And a hug if you want... ;D


	3. Doubts

Ah~ It's been SO long since I updated. To those who have been waiting for me to update, I am SOOO sorry! I know the pain of having to wait for a story to update for months. Well, for those who are especially unforgiving, I offer a compensation at the end of the chapter! You know you cant resist.

Oh yes, and marshmallows and cookies for those who reviewed the last chapter, as promised ^^

* * *

The sound of the shower head raining on him was comforting. It filled up the empty silence in the air. Soul closed his eyes and let the warm water wash over him peacefully and felt his tight muscles relax. He'd been looking forward to this moment all day. He was so stressed out, especially with Maka's surprise birthday and all-

_Oh yeah. I decided to tell her today_, the scythe thought.

Well, he had to think of what to say. How do you start? What if she didn't like him back? He knew that she had dated a few guys in their class. He also knew that her lips were no longer virgin. Ah, yes, that one memory never seemed to die away. He had witnessed it accidentally when he was skipping class. Apparently, he wasn't the only one skipping.

He had opened the door to the roof and found his meister locked in a passionate kiss with some guy in their class. They didn't notice him there and he left quietly. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt incredibly hurt, betrayed. _Why?_ He asked himself. It was just Maka making out with some dude.

That was the first time Soul realized his feelings for his meister.

Ah, yes. He remembered it like it was yesterday. It still hurt to remember it, although that was months ago.

_Alright, back to the main topic. How do I tell her?_ He thought.

Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure about his feelings. Soul turned the showerhead off and sighed. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Opening the door, he saw the pinstriped suit hanging on the doorknob. It was the suit he had worn when he had first met Maka. He could hear her cheerful humming downstairs in the kitchen and felt a smile creeping into his face.

Yup, he definitely loved her.

* * *

Maka made her way up the stairs humming happily. She passed by the bathroom, trying to ignore the open door, and went into her room to pick her clothes. She stopped in thought and remembered. Soul was supposed to pick her clothes today. She grimaced. She had no idea what he would make her wear. If it was just plain ugly, she was going to rip it off and burn it, deal or no deal.

She left her room and decided to check up on Soul. She was slightly worried that the suit wouldn't fit him anymore, since it has been a while since he had worn it. The bathroom door was wide opened and she was Soul standing in front of the mirror clad in his boxers and buttoning up his shirt. She blushed at the sight and knocked on the open door only after regaining her composure.

Soul turned around, stopping the process of buttoning up his shirt, with only the top part open. He stood there, his hands hung on his shirt, his finely toned chest exposed to the world in all its glory. She could see part of the huge scar he had on his chest. It was from the time they had fought Chrona and he had protected her. She had learned not to flinch whenever she saw it- it made Soul upset.

He gave Maka a questioning look when she didn't speak. Maka snapped out of her daze and smiled.

"Does the suit still fit?" she asked him. He nodded in reply.

"I sent to the tailor last month to get it fixed," he said, resuming the buttoning process.

Maka watched him finish doing up his buttons, her eyes never leaving his delicate fingers which moved in smooth motion. She felt slightly disappointed when he was finished. She wanted to watch his hands more. And she wanted to see that muscled chest more, too.

She leaned against the door waiting to see what he did next. He took a black tie from the hanger she had placed on the doorknob and attempted to put it on.

She realized that she had no actual reason to stay there except to watch him so she said, "If you make me wear something ugly, I'm going to kill you."

"You'll still have to wear it, though," he said, still struggling with his tie. Maka watched as he fumbled with it, tying it and untying it and tried not to laugh.

Maka smiled and took the tie and stared to fix it herself. Her hands brushed against his as she took the tie from him and it made her heart skip a beat but she refused to let it show. She could feel his eyes on her as she fixed the offending tie. Giving it a final tug, she looked at her partner and realized that their faces were just inches apart. Her heart jump started into overdrive as she looked into those deep ruby eyes.

She needed to compose herself. Breathe.

She smiled at him and said, "There."

She tried not to giggle as she thought she saw a tint of red on his cheeks. Her hands were still resting on his chest, she noticed. As much as she hated to, she stepped back and removed her hands from their resting place and headed towards her room. She closed the door and leaned against it. Safe in her room, she allowed her mind to process what just happened. She slid down and sat on the floor. She felt the heat of the blush spread throughout majority of her face and hugged knees, making the wild thumping of her heart echo in her head.

* * *

Yes, it was short, I know. I'm sorry (T___T)

However, I am going to put up the next chapter as soon as possible. And I'm not going to delay it, don't worry. I'm finally on vacation, so I got time. I wrote this chapter in the airport which explains its shortness.

Now, for the compensation for the unforgiving!

*drumroll*

I am taking requests!

Not much of a compensation, but take it or leave it. I can't really do more than this.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!

oh, and please review (^_____^)'


	4. Heart

YES! New chapter for you people! Isn't that nice?

Enjoy ^^

* * *

The warm steam clouded around her as she let the beads of water fall onto her face. She could feel the water trailing down the front of her throat, over her stomach and reaching for her long, slender legs. The water falling onto her head seeped through her hair, making its way to her back. This is what Maka had been waiting for all day. She could relax and think in peace alone.

It's kinda funny how her everyday motivation was a nice, hot shower. Well, that wasn't her only motivation. She had Soul, too, although he was also her inspiration as well. Maka sighed. She knew that she was lucky enough to have Soul as her partner, but what if she wanted something more?

She sighed and shook her head as if to shake the idea out of her head.

Who was she kidding?

The number one cool guy in the school pair with an average bookworm like her?

It was no secret that Soul had grown up to be such a hunk. Girls were actually falling for the 'cool guy' attitude. They crowded around him whenever he was in sight, shamelessly hanging onto him all the time. She knew Soul acted indifferent towards them because that was all part of his image. She tried not to care about it too much. Forgetting about him seemed like the best option.

She tried dating other guys and usually had a great time. Most of the guys she dated were really nice. She also remembered going out with one of the school's idols. She was really surprised when he approached her at first, even more surprised when he asked her out to lunch, and was swept off her feet when she found out how surprisingly sweet he was.

However, at the end of the day, no matter how happy she was with someone else. It was only Soul that she dreamt of.

Maka sighed and turned the shower off. Yup, the sooner she forgot about him, the better.

She wrapped a towel around her and opened the door. She opened the door and found a white shopping bag just outside. She noticed the black logo on the front was from a _very_ expensive clothes store. She pulled out the soft, black clothing from the bag and held it up for inspection. It was _nothing_ she expected. It was beautiful.

Maka closed her eyes and sighed. How did he expect her to forget him if he was damn sweet?

* * *

Soul smuggled his partners-in-crime into the house without a sound. Kid, Patty, Liz, and Tsubaki crept in as quietly as they could. Black Star, however, had to be dragged behind them since he had been tied up and gagged as a precautionary measure. Once the door was closed behind them noiselessly, Soul, keeping his voice low, said, "Alright, Maka's almost done. We don't have much time left. Tsubaki, did you bring the food?"

Tsubaki nodded in reply. Soul turned to Liz and Patty and said, "Do you guys have the banner?"

Patty nodded enthusiastically. "You have no idea how long it took to make it," Liz groaned.

Kid folded his arms and muttered, "It _had_ to be symmetrical. You'll thank me one day."

Suddenly, the group heard a door upstairs open. They kept silent, not daring to move, let alone breathe. They stood still for a few minutes, waiting for the door to close. When it didn't, Soul got concerned.

"Maka! Is everything alright?" he called out.

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine. Do I have to wear this thing?" she called back.

"Yup. A deal's a deal," he replied. He waited anxiously for the click of the door. After what seemed like an eternity, they heard a click and a thud as the door shut closed.

The whole group breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Soul turned to them and said, "Okay, we're really running out of time now. Tsubaki, prepare the food on the table. Kid, put up the decorations, I'll help. Liz and Patty, you guys put up the banner. Black Star, stop wriggling."

All members (excluding Black Star) saluted and whispered, "Aye, Captain."

**10 minutes later...**

Soul wiped the sweat off his brow and turned to the others.

"Me and Tsubaki are almost done," he said, "how about you guys?"

Kid was in a dark corner, depressed and muttering something about symmetry. Patty was standing on a chair trying pin up the banner while Black Star was lying down nearby the chair having a nosebleed, partly from the preview he had of her giraffe panties, but mostly from the beating Liz was giving him.

Soul heaved a huge sigh and looked at the time. "Shit! We don't have much time left. Tsubaki, Liz, help me put up the rest of the decorations."

He looked at the walls in disdain as he noticed that Kid only managed to put up one streamer before having a mental breakdown. At least the banner was up and the food was ready.

"Gimme a minute! I need to burn him so he doesn't come back from the dead!"

"Liz! For Shinigami's sake!"

* * *

Maka wiped the condensed water off the bathroom mirror and took a good, long look. She didn't look too bad, if she could say so herself. She was wearing the dress that Soul had given her. It was incredibly expensive (well, by her standards), comfortable, and she had to admit it made her look good.

She loved it. Her partner was being incredibly sweet to her today. It was almost too good to be true.

She turned around slowly, examining herself in the mirror. The dress made her look _really _good.

It was a pure black dress with spaghetti straps that crossed at the back. The dress ended above her knees, not too short, nor too long. It clung to her figure, accentuating her smooth curves, but loosened at the end so that if Maka turned, it twirled (A/N: think 'miniskirt', people.)

Despite that it clung to her figure, she didn't mind as the material the dress was made of was soft and smooth, It felt just like wearing a normal spaghetti top and a skirt, just that they were connected and made her look _gorgeous._

Maka giggled inwardly. She couldn't help but feel so beautiful in the dress. It was so simple, yet so elegant. She could feel herself practically glow with happiness.

Who knew that Soul had such good taste? Actually, come to think of it, how did Soul know her size? Soul had good intuition, but she didn't know if he would be bothered to apply it to these kinds of things. Did he know that she would like the dress? She knew Soul had never really cared for fashion trends or things like that. And most importantly of all, how did pay for it? Soul was even stingier than she was when it came to spending money.

_Don't question it,_ she thought,_ just enjoy it. _

Yes, she didn't have to over-analyze everything and ruin her good mood.

With a huff of determination, she set to fixing her blow-dried hair. How should she style it? She wanted it to be as elegant as her dress. She settled putting it up in a bun, leaving a small trail of hair out of her bun to flow into curled stream down to her neck. Simple, yet elegant.

She really liked her look. She thought she should put a necklace on, though. She didn't want her chest to look too bare. After all these years she finally grew a bust. It wasn't anything impressive but she had some cleavage to show, and the dress took care of _that_.

After taking a final look in the mirror, she exited the bathroom and went quickly into her room to find a good perfect to wear. Looking into her jewelry box, she found a necklace with three tear dropped shaped onyxes, the largest one the middle, and with extra bits of chain hanging around the jewels. She tried it on and inspected herself in her full body sized mirror.

A thought suddenly occurred to her._ Why am I so flustered and so concerned about how I look? I've never been so bothered about it before. It's just Soul and I tonight._

She gulped. She suddenly felt more nervous than she was before. She was going to be alone. With Soul.

Why was she panicking so much? She lived with him for Shinigami's sake! There was absolutely no reason to be nervous at all.

So why was her heart beating so out of control?

Maka was an intelligent girl. She knew the answer long ago. But because she was intelligent, she knew what the chances of a successfully confession coming from _her_, his bookworm partner, were. She reminded herself to take control of these feeling and her heart - she had already been through this in the shower.

She was going to forget him.

Maka heaved a heavy sigh. Determined, she calmed her rebellious heart down and after a final glimpse in the mirror, she headed downstairs. After the final stair she turned left to go into the living room and nearly died from shock.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAKA!"

* * *

Did you enjoy it? Reiew!

This story was actually meant to be a one-shot, which explains all the short chapters. I'm so happy that it actually came this far ^^

Any requests or suggestions for stories? PM me!


	5. Party Time

Whooo~

This lil' chappy is WAY overdue, so I apologize... don't worry- it's almost over.

ENJOY!

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAKA!"

Maka was left speechless, her heart practically leaping out of her chest. She stared in a daze as her friends gathered around her, cheerfully chattering. She recovered and then sighed. She nearly had a heart attack from that surprise. Her heart was stressed enough. Seriously, any more surprises and she'd die of heart failure.

The walls of their tiny living room were strewn with cheerful decorations and a traditional huge banner that read 'Happy Birthday, Maka!' in huge, red letters was hung up.

Her friends circled around her, all talking at the same time so Maka could only catch bits of what they said.

"WHOOOO!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! YES, I'M SURE YOU'RE HONORED WITH MY AWESOME PRE-"

"See, I told you she'd look gorgeous in that dress!"

"Yep, Nee-chan's always right!"

"-SENCE!!! Ara? Ah, I see. YOU'RE IN SHOCK IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GRE-"

"It's in perfect symmetry!"

"-AT BLACK STAR!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Happy sweet sixteen, Maka!"

"Happy birthday, tiny tits."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"

Maka's head turned from side to side, as she turned to look at each friend whilst they were talking. She was starting to feel dizzy. Finally, a smile broke out on her face, and a blush crept up to cheeks.

"Thanks, everyone!" she laughed.

There was a light feeling in her stomach, and she felt like her chest was going to explode. It felt great.

She turned to each of her friends again and noticed what they were wearing. Black Star was wearing a white suit while Tsubaki wore a halter top-styled long dark blue gown with long slits at the side that showed off her long legs. Patty wore a bright green strapped dress that came above her knees, with a bow in the back. Liz wore a tight black helter top dress that reached her knees while Kidd wore a white and black pinstriped suit.

All of them were wearing something formal. _So that explains the dress_, Maka thought. She wondered what Soul would have done if she picked out casual clothes for him to wear. She glanced at him as he grinned at her in his red and black pinstriped suit.

_He looks really cool_, she thought, blushing even deeper.

"Ah, about this dress…" she started.

"You don't like it?" Tsubaki asked, concerned. "I told them that we couldn't be too sure about what style you liked…"

"No, no! I really love it! But who is it from?"

"It's from all of us! I, nee-chan and Tsubaki picked it out. We all chipped in to buy it," Patty chirruped.

"Although, if I remember correctly, it was Soul-kun's idea…" Tsubaki said thoughtfully.

"Yeah! Soul organized this whole party, ya know," Black Star grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Right, Soul?""Liz added, winking and nudging Soul with her elbow.

"Shut up," he replied coolly, a tint of red covering his cheeks.

Everyone laughed. Maka felt so loved. It felt great to laugh with her friends like this. Her chest felt like bursting out from happiness. She would definitely never forget this moment.

"Ah, cake! We should have cake!" Tsubaki remembered.

"Yay! Cake! Cake!" Patty cheered. They all gathered around the table as Tsubaki lit the candles.

"Now, make a wish, Maka," she said.

Maka closed her eyes. _It may be stupid or useless to try and wish fir this_ she thought, _but I wish we could all stay like this forever._

She opened her eyes and blew out all sixteen candles. She laughed as they tried to sing her a tone-deaf version of the 'Happy Birthday Song'. Their off note singing was interrupted by the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Maka said, laughing. She walked to their hall and opened the door.

"Stein-sensei! Marie-sensei!"

"Happy Birthday, Maka! Mind if we crash the party?" they said.

"Not at all," she laughed. "Come on in!"

They stepped in the hall, revealing a certain over-doting father was hiding behind them.

"He was persistent," sighed Stein.

"MY ADORABLE MAKA-CHAN!!! PAPA MISSED YOOUU SOO-"

SLAM.

She leaned against the door as Spirit banged his fists while he sobbed heavily. Eventually, though, she sighed and opened the door. Spirit's eyes gleamed with joy.

"Maka-chan!" he said.

"You are my father after all," she sighed as she was glomped by the death scythe. She shut the door and went inside to all her friends.

"Sake time!" Liz shouted, making everyone cheer.

That night, Maka and Soul's apartment was filled with laughter, the warmth of her friends and family's company and drunken singing. Lots and lots of drunken singing.

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter.

The site's being mean to me...it won't let me put spaces in my story so it looks even smaller... T___T

Review! ...please?


	6. Our Dance

Hey! I'm so incredibly sorry that it took so long for me to update. I worked hard on this chapter and made it almost triple the usual length I write in a chapter since it's the grand finale :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Maka fell back into her armchair, exhausted from the party. It was a pretty standard birthday party. The cutting of the cake, the embarrassing birthday song, as was customary, followed by presents and then wrapped up by a _lot_ of drinking and of course, the traditional game of 'truth or dare'. She, of course was only tipsy. Black Star and Kidd were the only ones who were full, blown out drunk. She tried to recall how Stein-sensei and Marie-sensei and her lecherous Papa handled their liquor.

_They had just one drink and then left_, she thought to herself as she remembered. As for her lecherous Papa, she had kicked him out after they had finished the cake.

All in all, it was just like any other ordinary birthday party, yet she was happy. She hadn't had this much fun on a long time. She gave a long, happy sigh, contented and happy.

She snapped out of her daze a she heard the sound of a tap turning, water running, and the clink of ceramic in the kitchen. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was already 3 am. She turned around in her armchair and saw Soul's back towards her, his red shirt sleeves neatly folded up, his jacket hung on a nearby chair.

"Ah, let me help you with that," she said, staring to get up.

"Oh, you're awake. Its ok, I got this. It isn't cool for a birthday girl to the dishes," he said after glancing at her.

"I believe in equality."

"And I don't. I'm treating you nicely so shut up. I'm almost done anyways," he chuckled.

"There probably wasn't much to begin with," she stated. She was still in a good mood, though.

"You may be right. But it's the thought that counts, isn't it?" he grinned. Maka listened to the sound of dishes clinking and water rushing out of the tap. She listened to the way she could hear Soul tap his fingers on a plate occasionally, and the way he would hum under his breath, thinking that she couldn't hear him.

With a final squeak of the tap, Soul walked into the living room, wiping his hands with a dishtowel. Maka's eyes followed him as he rummaged through the stacks of CD's, curious about what was going to happen next.

Finally finding the CD he wanted, she watched as those delicate hands pried open the case and popped the CD into their stereo. His hands were always so fascinating to her, so experienced and accurate. They were a pianist's hands.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the music began to flow out from the stereo's speakers. It was a song with a slow yet catchy beat, the bass loud and strong. She could see the speaker thump with each booming beat. Soul turned and held out his hand towards her, a confident grin plastered to his face.

"Maka… Dance with me," he told her gently. It wasn't an order, it was a kind suggestion however, she could not seem to find the willpower to refuse. He looked deeply into her eyes, completely unaware of the hypnotizing effect they had on her.

Maka finally broke away from those tantalizing orbs and looked his hand extended towards her in surprise, and then looked back at his face, studying his features. His grin was devilishly alluring just as always, but there was a sort of look in his eyes she could not seem to name. Kindness, perhaps? She pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Sure," she accepted his invitation, smiling as she took his hand.

He led her behind the armchair she was previously sitting on and placed one hand on her hip and took Maka's hand, poising it in the air, with the other.

"Umm…I'm not that good at this…" Maka mumbled blushing as she hesitantly placed her free hand on his shoulder.

"Just follow my lead. Relax. It's just you and me," he smiled confidently.

_That's exactly why I can't relax_, she thought, her heart hammering painfully against her ribcage. She felt like she was about to explode any moment now.

She felt stupid and awkward as they began to dance to the slow beat of the song. Her shoulders were tensed up, her breath was hitched and she kept looking down at their feet in case she stepped on his foot or something. Gradually, though, she relaxed, forcing herself to breathe properly, and her heart slowed down.

Soul, seeing that she had finally relaxed, let go of her waist and gently guided her to move beside him, so that their arms, still connected, were fully extended. He then guided her to coil back into his arms, so that her back leaned against his chest. Her arms were crossed in front of her at waist level, whilst Soul's arms crossed in front of her as well, his hands joining hers. Basically, he was hugging her from behind as they continued to dance.

They were much closer than earlier now. Maka's heart raced out of control again. She tried to comfort herself with the fact that Soul couldn't see blush on her face, since her back was against his chest. Maka tried to calm herself and decided to focus on something else as a distraction. She leaned into Soul's embrace as they slowly bobbed and weaved in the small space in the hall. She could feel his warm chest and his heart beat. Now, that she thought about it, his heart beat was beating pretty fast, for some vague reason.

_I guess I'm not the only one suffering, _she thought. _It must be pretty awkward for him as well._ At that thought, she automatically relaxed again. She closed her eyes and took in his scent thinking that the way he smelt made her picture blues and jazz.

Soul stepped closer to her, suddenly. She instantly felt something in her stomach explode. It amazed her how one simply action could make her react so strongly. She loved the way he held her, so gentle, but strong and secure. She sighed, contented that she was being held by him. Even if he didn't love her back, she would be fine. It would break her heart, but she'd be fine, just as long as he was able to hold her like this once and a while.

Soul took a deep breath against her hair, and she knew he was taking in the way she smelt as well. It made her heart skip a beat. Why did her heart have to react like this even though she had decided to stop loving him? She knew the answer. She always had known the answer. As much, and as hard as she tried, she would never really stop loving him.

Soul held her close and kissed the back of her head. Why did he always have to give her the hope that he might love her back? Tears burned in the back of her eyes, threatening to spill out but she held them back. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

Soul buried his head in the crook of her neck and kissed the back of her neck. Maka's heart felt like exploding and that annoying feeling of hope grew within her. She felt like she should be having a heart attack right now. Soul moved back up and kissed her head once again.

"Maka," he whispered into her ear making shivers run down her back.

"Hmm?" she murmured in reply. She didn't trust herself to speak.

"Maka…" he hesitated. She felt his heart beat faster against her back, and felt her hopes rise with every beat. He paused and took several deep breaths.

"Maka Albarn…" he said after what seemed like forever, determination resounding in his voice. She waited as her hopes reached its peak, and felt like she was bursting at the seams. Her eyes opened wide and her body went numb as she heard the one thing she never thought she would hear from him.

"…I love you…" he whispered. He let go of one of her hands and twirled her around slowly, so that she could face him. He wrapped his arm fully around her waist this time, so they were just as close as they were earlier.

Maka's brain was still processing what had just happened. She felt like her whole body was paralyzed. They stood there quietly, still holding each other as the music played in the background. Soul patiently waited for her to fully understand what had just happened. He reached for her with his soul and gently nudged her. She finally looked at him and saw the same look in those deep red eyes she has seen earlier. The look she so easily had mistaken for kindness. The look that sometimes practically broke her heart.

_It was love all along?_ She laughed in her mind. She finally smiled at him, overjoyed, and tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she just felt so complete. She reached up and gave him a tender peck on the cheek.

"Is that all I get?" Soul chuckled as they began to slow dance again.

"For now…" she replied, wrapping her arm around her neck so she could rest her head against his chest.

"So… was that your answer?" he asked playfully.

"Why don't you guess?" she answered, equally playful.

"Hmm. What's my prize if I get it right?"

"Anything you want."

"Anything I want?"

Maka giggled. "Anything you want, "she repeated slowly.

"Alright… I'm guessing that you love me, too," answered, softly kissing her neck.

"Correct," she smiled, tilting her head to give him more access to her neck.

"So now I get what I want, right?" she could feel him grin against her skin.

"That's the general idea," she softly replied, still hypnotized by the feeling of his lips on her neck.

"Then I want what you want," he said. He left a butterfly trail of kisses from her neck to her jaw.

"And what would that be?" she managed to reply as he reached her cheek.

"This." He gently pressed his lips against hers.

It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. She had always felt like kisses were simply a greeting, nothing more, nothing less. She had read in romantic novels how kisses were an expression of love, but she never really understood what all the hype was until now.

Maka had no idea that the kiss she had waited so long for would feel so satisfying. As she kissed Soul, she finally felt what those young girls had talked about in her novels. Maka felt like she was floating on a cloud. It felt like the butterflies in her stomach were going on a huge rampage. The world around them had suddenly ceased. The only thing that mattered was that she was with Soul and him alone.

Suddenly, Maka needed more. The feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, trying to over-power her actions. She never knew that she could feel so possessive. She nibbled on Soul's lip, asking for entry. Soul accepted her immediately and Maka knew that she wasn't the only one eager here.

They explored each other's hot caverns and there was a battle of dominance. Maka was determined but Soul had started to massage a soft spot on her back with his skilled fingers, so she surrendered. Maka couldn't help but feel slightly competitive, so when they broke away for air, she immediately latched on to his earlobe and nibble on it. She felt a certain satisfaction when Soul tried to stifle a groan and pulled away to flash a devious grin at him.

Soul kissed a sweet spot at her neck as an act of revenge. He slowly made his way up to her ear and whispered in a husky voice, "You have no idea how long I've waited for that. "

"I think I've got a general idea," she replied. Her voice was breathy, as if she had just run a marathon. She was starting to get used to the feeling of her heart ramming against her ribcage. She felt her back arch as Soul sucked on a sensitive spot on her collarbone. Soul had the power to induce such powerful reactions from Maka, it amazed her.

Maka's breathing sped up. She could feel Soul breathing heavily against her neck as well. They were no longer playing innocent now. Maka was too distracted by Soul's skilled fingers working their way down her back and by the feeling of his lips on her neck to panic. His lips reached hers once again and another battle pursued. Both of them needed more, their actions grew more aggressive.

Soul led the way, pushing Maka back until they both plopped onto their couch, their lips never parting. Soul balanced some of his weight onto his hands so he that wouldn't crush her. Maka undid the buttons of his shirt quickly and traced the lines of his hard muscles, memorizing. In a quick motion, she flipped them over so that she was straddling Soul by the waist. When he finally realized what had happened, he chuckled.

Soul could the grin on her lips against his neck. He let his hands wander up and down the curves of her waist. He felt something within him yearning to take control once again. He flipped them over just as quickly as Maka had previously; He loomed over her, one hand placed at the side of her head to balance his weight once again.

His other hand was driving her crazy. He drew delicate patterns on her, gently taunting her with his finger tips, deliberately avoiding the places she needed so badly to be touched. He stare was intense and full of passion. His hand travelled down to her leg, drawing dangerous circles on her inner thigh. Maka reached to undo the zipper of her dress when she felt Soul freeze.

"Soul?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Maka, I…" he started. She felt like he was restraining himself. He sighed, pulled himself away from her and sat on the far end of the couch.

"Maka, I really, really, _really_ want to do this with you right now, but if we continue, I'm afraid we'll probably go the whole way,' he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"And you don't want to go there with me?" she practically stated.

"No! Don't get me wrong, I really want to go there with you but you're not ready, Maka."

Maka folded her hands and pouted like a child who couldn't get her favorite toy. Soul laughed and gave her a quick but tender kiss.

"I want to do this with you properly and all. Our first date and the works," he told her.

"We're already living together, you know," she reminded him.

"Well, I'm a gentleman. A cool guy like me knows we have to take this slow," he grinned.

"You're right," she sighed in defeat. Soul buttoned his shirt back and lay down next to her. He put his arm around her and they both lied there in comfortable silence.

"I think I'm starting to regret passing up the opportunity to get laid," Soul sighed.

"Hey, you missed your chance."

* * *

It took way too long, but it's finally finished! Thank you, everyone who favorited or reviewed!

Don't hesitate to review, be it hate, or be it love - my inbox is always available and open =)


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